title: Sex differences and hormonal influences in human sensorimotor gating: implications for schizophrenia.
abstract: Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response serves to prevent the interruption of ongoing perceptual and early sensory analysis and provides a simple operational measure of sensorimotor gating. In line with postulated deficits in early stages of information processing, PPI is disrupted in schizophrenia. PPI is considered a valid candidate for an endophenotypic marker in genetic studies of schizophrenia and has also been extensively used in translational research. Importantly, there are well-replicated sex differences and menstrual phase effects in prepulse-elicited startle modulation of nonclinical young populations. Lack of knowledge about the precise roles of sex differences and hormonal effects in prepulse-elicited startle modulation and in the schizophrenia disease process presents a stumbling block to continuous progress in this field. This chapter reviews a wealth of data demonstrating sex and hormonal influences in prepulse-elicited startle modulation and considers their implications for our understanding of the pathophysiology, genetics, and potential treatments of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. veena.kumari@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumari
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D055139:Sensory Gating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones